The sensory attributes of cigarette smoke can be enhanced by applying additives to tobacco and/or by otherwise incorporating flavoring materials into various components of a tobacco product, such as a smoking article or a smokeless tobacco product, such as a snus pouch. Various methods for modifying the sensory attributes of cigarettes suggest that filter elements may be used as vehicles for adding flavor to the mainstream smoke of those smoking articles. For example, U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2002/0166563 to Jupe et al. proposes the placement of adsorbent and flavor-releasing materials in a cigarette filter. U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2002/0020420 to Xue et al. proposes the placement of fibers containing small particle size adsorbents/absorbents in the filter. U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,486 to Dube et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,905 to Green, Jr. et al. propose the placement of a flavor-containing pellet in a cigarette filter. Other representative types of cigarette filters incorporating flavoring agents are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,972,335 to Tiggelbeck et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,098 to Owens, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,671 to Byrne; U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,391 to Woods et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,829 to Thesing et al. The flavoring materials may vary. See, Borschke, Rec. Adv. Tab. Sci., 19, p. 47-70, 1993; Leffingwell et al., Tobacco Flavoring for Smoking Products, R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (1972). For example, one type of flavoring materials is menthol.
In another example, some smoking articles have capsules positioned in their filter elements, and the contents of those capsules are released into the filter elements upon rupture of those capsules in order to deodorize the filter element after the smoking article is extinguished. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,558 to Waterbury; U.S. Pat. No. 3,366,121 to Carty; U.S. Pat. No. 3,390,686 to Irby, Jr. et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,049 to Leake; U.S. Pat. No. 3,547,130 to Harlow et al; U.S. Pat. No. 3,575,1809 to Carty; U.S. Pat. No. 3,602,231 to Dock; U.S. Pat. No. 3,625,228 to Dock; U.S. Pat. No. 3,635,226 to Horsewell et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,521 to Dock; U.S. Pat. No. 3,916,914 to Brooks et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,773 to Walker; U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,144 to Tateno et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 7,115,085 to Deal; U.S. Pat. Application Pub. Nos. 2003/0098033 to MacAdam et al.; 2004/0261807 to Dube et al; and 2007/0068540 to Thomas et al.; and PCT WO 03/009711 to Kim; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/760,983, filed Jun. 11, 2007 to Stokes et al. The flavor-releasing materials may be released into the filter elements upon rupture of those capsules in the attempt to alter the nature or character of the mainstream smoke that passes through those filter elements. For example, some smokers might desire a smoking article that is capable of selectively providing a variety of different flavors, depending upon the smoker's immediate desire. The flavor of such a smoking article might be selected based on the smoker's desire for a particular flavor at that time, or a desire to change flavors during the smoking experience. For example, flavors during the smoking experience may enable a smoker to end the smoking article with a breath freshening flavor, such as menthol or spearmint. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a smoking article that is capable of providing distinctive, different pleasurable sensory experiences, at the discretion of a smoker, for example, by crushing the capsule incorporated in the filter and containing the flavoring materials.
Additionally, some smokers might also desire a smoking article that is capable of selectively releasing a deodorizing agent upon completion of the smoking experience. Such agents may be used to ensure that the remaining portion of a smoked article yields a pleasant aroma after the smoker has finished smoking that smoking article. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a smoking article that is capable of releasing a deodorizing agent, particularly at the discretion of the smoker, for example, by crushing the capsule incorporated in the filter and containing the deodorizing agent.
In yet another example, some smokers might desire a smoking article that is capable of selectively moistening, cooling, or otherwise modifying the nature or character of the mainstream smoke generated by that smoking article. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,240,678 to Crooks et al., 7,237,558 to Clark et al., 7,115,085 to Deal, 5,240,015 to Rosen et al., 5,041,422 to Narula et al., 5,021,184 to Gillaspey et al., and 4,956,481 to Gillaspey et al. However, because certain agents that can be used to interact with smoke are volatile and have the propensity to evaporate over time, the effects of those agents upon the behavior of those smoking articles may require introduction of those agents near commencement of the smoking experience. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a smoking article that is capable of selectively moistening, smoothing or cooling the smoke delivered to a smoker, at the discretion of that smoker, for example, by crushing the capsule incorporated in the filter and containing the agents.
It is also desirable to provide smokeless tobacco products with the capability to selectively modify the flavor delivered to the user. Examples of various smokeless tobacco products are described in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 11/461,633, Aug. 1, 2006 to Mua et al.; and, 11/781,666, filed Jul. 23, 2007, to Mua et al.; and U.S. Pat. Appl'n Pub. No. 2007/0186941 to Holton Jr. et al, which are incorporated herein by reference. For example, Holton Jr. et al, discloses the use of a flavor-containing breakable capsule in a snus pouch.
The capsules incorporated in the tobacco products can be manufactured using various materials and by various methods. For example, alginates can be used to manufacture capsules to be incorporated into smoking articles. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,249,605 to MacAdam et al., 7,240,678 to Crooks et al., 7,237,558 to Clark et al., 6,631,722 to MacAdam et al., 6,470,894 to Hersh et al., 5,727,571 to Meiring et al., and 5,303,720 to Banerjee et al. Alginates, which are derived from brown seaweeds, are widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The monovalent salts, especially sodium alginates, are mass-produced by many manufacturers all around the world, and are relatively inexpensive. Alginate capsules are commonly prepared by introducing and maintaining alginate drops in a single bath containing multivalent ions for a period of time. A film of gel is formed around the drops to afford the alginate capsules. Representative methods to manufacture alginate capsules using the single ionic bath approach are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,627,236 to Barbeau et al., 4,701,326 to Nelsen et al., 5,139,783 to Handjani et al., 5,093,130 to Fujii et al., 4,780,987 to Nelsen et al., and 2,800,457 to Green et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. However, it is often difficult to obtain capsules having desirable physical characteristics, for example, when the capsules are desired to be used in a breakable form in cigarette filters. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved process to manufacture capsules having desirable physical characteristics.